Mountain Hollyhock in the Landscape

Diane Jones, Draggin' Wing Farm, Water-thrifty Plants for Idaho

Scientfic Name:  Iliamana rivularis
Common Name:  Mountain Hollyhock, River Mallow, Maple Mallow, Streambank Globe Mallow

Description:  Shrubby in appearance, with beautiful Maple-like leaves. Mountain Hollyhock dies back to the ground in winter and booms up in spring, rapidly reaching to 3' to 5' by early summer. It then puts on a show of the Intermountain West's prettiest wildflowers stalks of small cup-shaped mini-hollyhocks in shades of pink and rose.

Native Habitat:  Mountain meadows, coniferous or aspen forests or brush communities 4,500-9,000 from Washington East to Colorado. Will adapt readily to lower elevations. Very cold hardy.

Cultural Requirement

Soil:  From dry to moist, well-drained or ordinary garden soil.

Moisture Tolerance:  Moderately drought-tolerant.

Sun/Shade/Preference:  Full sun, part shade.

Transplanting:  Easy.

Propagation:  Seed.

Maintenance (pruning, fertilization, deadheading, division, irrigation, etc):  Remove dead branches in late fall or early spring.

Insect, disease, or other problems:  None of concern.

Landscape Value

Use in the Landscape:  Can be used as a single specimen plant toward the back of a bed or combined with other tall flowers and grasses naturalized in a meadow setting. Could also be used or as part of a mountain brush, aspen understory planting or in riparian restoration.

Foliage:  Large maple-like leaves.

Flower:  Spikes of pale pink to deep rose flowers that resemble miniature hollyhocks.

Timing:  June-September

Color:  Pink-rose.

Fruit:  Capsule.

Form:  Large, irregular shrub-like form, dying to the ground in winter.

Ultimate Size:  Three to five feet wide and tall.

Rate of Growth:  Rapid annual growth each spring.

Suggested Plant Partners:  Geum triflorum, Lewis Flax, any tall Penstemon.

Availability:  Available at specialty nurseries.

Cultivars:  None.

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